Haunted
by Riathene
Summary: Inu-Yasha...Inu-Yasha fights a shadow from his shady past. One Shot.(COMPLETED) Disclaimer: I do not own Inu-Yasha.


"Haunted"

Inu-Yasha bound through the woods. Sideswiping a tree and slicing his arm open, Inu-Yasha turned and let loose his ranged claw attack. His breathing jumped when the demon emerged from a cloud of debris unhurt.

"Come back and fight me dog demon."

Inu-Yasha only ran faster.

He wasn't sure how much farther he could run. Tetsusaiga was no longer an option. He had to find another means. His friends might buy him a little time. Sango was a tough slayer… he needed to find her.

"Come back little hanyou. I only want to play."

Inu-Yasha was glad that Kagome had gone back to her own time. If she were here then he'd have to fight it. She wouldn't leave him another option.

"Let me guess…you're protecting a girl, aren't you?"

Inu-Yasha's eyes narrowed. He jumped. Landing on the side of a tree, Inu-Yasha rebounded back toward the demon.

He readied his claws. "Iron Reaver, Soul Steal…"

Inu-Yasha had the wind knocked out of him.

He hit the ground flat on his back. Darkness crept in his sight as his vision blurred.

**Crash. Crack. Creak. **

Inu-Yasha snapped his head to the side. He watched as one tree after another resigned to the weight of the demon pushing through them. The trees were being bent in half. The demon was heading straight for him. Inu-Yasha rolled onto all fours. He dug his hands into the ground giving him a push. He raced through the woods stumbling every now and then.

Inu-Yasha looked back. The demon was gaining on him.

Suddenly Inu-Yasha's foot ceased to move. With the forward momentum that he had he couldn't afford to stumble anymore. Inu-Yasha reached his hands out to stop his fall, but he slid across the ground anyways.

"Hanyou…" It repeated.

Inu-Yasha turned his head over his right shoulder at the oversized demon pursuing him. Flashbacks crept into his mind. He had been chased before and it was all because he was a half-breed. He'd only thought about that frightful day once since it happened and that was when he'd met Sheori, the little bat hanyou. Her innocence face flashed through his mind. He had to fight back. Inu-Yasha stood up.

"So I see you've come to play with me."

"Shut up." Inu-Yasha yelled back.

"I see the little halfling needs to be taught some manners."

"I'll teach you manners!" Inu-Yasha yelled back taking to the air.

"Lesson one…" Its voice boomed out. "Sit"

Inu-Yasha dodged the blow.

"I already know how to sit." Inu-Yasha replied without thinking. "A miko taught me that."

Inu-Yasha froze for a second hearing what he'd just said.

"Fine then we'll move on to lesson two… Lay down!"

Inu-Yasha didn't have time to move before he hit the ground. Kagome's sits were never this rough no matter how upset he made her. He watched his vision slowly come back into focus as he tried to push himself from the ground.

"I see we're on lesson three." The voice boomed out. "Stay."

Inu-Yasha growled clinching his hands into fists of dirt. He couldn't get up. A crushing force had him pinned to the ground.

"You're quick to learn!" The voice stated in evil amazement. "Maybe we should move on to the next lesson."

Inu-Yasha felt the pressure increase. His breath was being squeezed out.

"Lesson four…Die!"

There was no way up. Inu-Yasha dug his tough claws into the solid ground. The earth moved quite easily.

The pressure increased.

Inu-Yasha's digging became frantic. He carved out a small hole and used it for shelter.

"Ha Ha, Ha Ha…" It laughed. "Soon there will be no more threat and the Shikon No Tama will me mine."

_He's after Kagome!_ It suddenly occurred to Inu-Yasha. He resumed his digging long enough to tunnel out of harm's way.

"Hmmm…" The demon continued. "…It appears I've squashed you into oblivion."

"Think again." Inu-Yasha yelled from behind digging his claws into its dark shapeless form.

The demon remained unhurt.

"What the…?"

"A half-breed cannot hurt me. …And seeing as you have no spiritual powers, you can never defeat me."

_Spiritual powers… MIROKU!_ Inu-Yasha darted off into the woods.

"Come back little half-breed." It spoke from right on Inu-Yasha's tail.

"I only want to play." It said in a sinister tone.

Something occurred to Inu-Yasha. That was the very line he'd fallen for years ago when he was little. No wonder he was consumed by a nagging fear. He'd left the village with his mother's death and disappeared to the woods. Demons had chased him down saying that they only wanted to play and they nearly killed him. He couldn't fight them then either. None of his attacks works. The best solution he came up with was to run. He found shelter on a small ledge over the edge of a cliff. There they had given up their chase.

"Oh little hanyou…" It repeated.

Inu-Yasha's heart almost stopped. He couldn't fight it and he couldn't run forever. He needed to find his friends and to protect Kagome.

"There you are, little half-breed."

Inu-Yasha picked up his pacing to a full sprint. The demon remained right on his tail.

"Inu-Yasha…?" Shippo wondered watching Inu-Yasha's red hatori streak through the woods.

_Shippo!_ He wasn't sure if Shippo would be alright if he left the little kitsune behind. Shippo was a full demon but this thing was unstoppable.

Shippo blinked and was slammed against Inu-Yasha's chest. At first Shippo wasn't sure what was going on but Inu-Yasha didn't seem to be in the mood to talk.

They were moving so fast that Inu-Yasha barely moved side to side at all. A low branch swung down clipping Inu-Yasha on the cheek. It would have been a lot worse if Inu-Yasha hadn't ducked his head to the side. A slight trickle of blood rolled down his cheek from the fresh scratch.

"Inu-Yasha?" Shippo asked now concerned with what Inu-Yasha was running to or from.

A demonic laughter radiated through the woods.

Inu-Yasha turned his head uneasily slowing only slightly then continued his sprint.

"Sango… Miroku…"

Shippo looked at Inu-Yasha's face. He was scared of something. Shippo had never seen the fearless hanyou utterly afraid before.

"Where are they, Shippo?" Inu-Yasha demanded harshly almost out of breath.

"The well… Kagome's due back." Shippo answered roughly.

"_Soon there will be no more threat and the Shikon No Tama will me mine." _The words repeated in Inu-Yasha's mind. "Shippo… Find Kagome. Force her back into her own time and tell her stay there until I come for her!"

"…Uh?"

Inu-Yasha spun to a stop releasing Shippo in the process. A cloud of dust hovered around Inu-Yasha. Inu-Yasha's protective growl hummed through the woods, which enticed Shippo to look back, but it was only that once. He couldn't see anything on the other side of the dust cloud. He knew if Inu-Yasha was this scared then he needed to do what he asked so Shippo raced off to find Kagome.

_I've got to lead it away_. Inu-Yasha thought barely able to stand anymore.

It roared. "Hello hanyou. Are you too tired to run anymore? I was enjoying the chase."

"I bet you were." Inu-Yasha yelled back.

"Let's play some more, Halfling."

Inu-Yasha growled at the comment to his race.

"Alright." Inu-Yasha yelled flying into the air, "Tag. You're It!" He was glad that Kagome had taught him that. Inu-Yasha bound over the demon landing gracefully on the other side.

The massive body turned and tried to step on Inu-Yasha but Inu-Yasha had proved to be too quick and tumbled to safety.

Shippo reached the well out of breath.

"Shippo?" Sango questioned.

"Has something happened Shippo?" Miroku asked.

Right about then Kagome appeared in the bottom of well and began to climb the sides.

Miroku reached over and picked Shippo up as his legs gave out.

Shippo had run at a full sprint. He knew Inu-Yasha needed him to protect Kagome. "Kagome…" Shippo yelled. "You must go back to your own time and stay there." "Shippo what's going on?" Sango inquired.

"Inu-Yasha said Kagome has to stay in her time until he comes for her."

"Shippo what's going on?" Miroku asked Sango's question again.

"Inu-Yasha…" Shippo stated breathlessly.

"Kagome if Inu-Yasha thinks you'll be in danger then maybe you should go back to your time and wait until this blows over."

Kagome nodded shyly then hopped in the well.

"Come on." Sango stated not wasting any time. "Inu-Yasha probably needs us."

They all jumped on Kirara's back and soared high into the air.

A huge dust cloud was all they saw.

Kirara landed in a clearing next to the disturbance.

"Inu-Yasha?" Miroku called.

As if on que Inu-Yasha darted out of the dust cloud.

He ran between his four friends and slid to a stop behind them.

He was badly beaten. Panting, Inu-Yasha collapsed to all fours. It was clear he could no longer stand. No wonder he had ordered Kagome to go home.

Sango threw her boomerang. It went right through the demon cloud. "What the…?" She asked catching it.

"Hmmm…" Miroku observed. He pulled out a sealing scroll and threw that.

The demon yelled in pain.

Miroku placed a few scrolls on Sango's boomerang to allow her a fighting chance.

It worked the demon form dispersed.

"Kazana!" Miroku yelled out ripping off the rosary beads that sealed his hand.

He pulled in the remaining smoke then sealed it off.

"Inu-Yasha…" Sango asked making her way over to their injured friend.

_Is it over?_ Inu-Yasha questioned. "Thank you…" Inu-Yasha weakly whispered.

"Why was that chasing you Inu-Yasha?" Sango asked.

_No. It'll never be over._ He concluded. _It was chasing me because I'm a hanyou and Kagome has the shards. _

Inu-Yasha stood up.

"Inu-Yasha? Where are you going?" Miroku asked.

Inu-Yasha's right cheek had a nasty scratch. His left arm was covered in blood and slightly shaking. It hung loosely at his side. One of his ears had been attacked. It looked as if it the demon had tried to rip it off. The blood streaked his hair red. Besides the bumps and bruises, Inu-Yasha only had one other injury. His lip was swollen and bleeding.

"Tetsusaiga needs repair. Kagome will probably get curious and return through the well in the morning. I will return tomorrow night."

"Inu-Yasha. You know Kagome wouldn't allow you to go off by yourself in this condition."

"I won't be alone. Come on Kirara."

Kirara meowed and grew. She nuzzled Sango and bent down for Inu-Yasha to climb on.

Around noon the next day, Kagome had returned just as predicted. She raced to Kaede's hut and demanded to see Inu-Yasha. "Calm yourself Kagome. Inu-Yasha will return tonight." Kaede replied. "Why don't you all go collect some herbs for an old woman?"

Miroku and Sango had told Kaede what they knew of the story. Kaede had told them not to worry about it that Kagome would get the entire story from Inu-Yasha then if they asked nicely Kagome would fill them in.

The others collected herbs and busied themselves with other chores that Kaede needed help with.

Inu-Yasha kept his promise and returned to them late that evening.

Kagome went hysterical when she saw his ear and left arm. His minor scratches and bruises had healed in the day's time away.

"Inu-Yasha! You went off alone like that? I can't believe you. No wonder you didn't want me around. These injuries were a lot worse when you left the others weren't they. Take you shirt off and let me see them." Kagome began to tap her foot with annoyance. "Sit." She barked out. "Kagome I'm fine." "No you're not. Now take that shirt off." Kagome jumped on top of him and proceeded to tear his shirt from his body.

"Wow Kagome doesn't play around does she?" Sango commented.

"Guess not." Miroku replied then sinisterly added, "…Hey Kagome, I'm injured why don't you rip my shirt off?"

"Yeah mentally." Sango retorted.


End file.
